Netherlands, in their very first match of the T20 World Cup, clinched a hard-earned six-wicket victory over Nepal and earned their first points. Having won the toss in this Group D encounter, Netherlands opted to bowl first and took advantage of the overcast conditions that aided their pace attack.
Having put pressure on the Nepal batters with some disciplined bowling, Netherlands bundled them out for 106 in under 20 overs. The relentless pressure from the Dutch bowlers prevented Nepal from forming any significant partnership. Logan van Beek was the top performer, scalping three wickets in 3.2 overs for only 18 runs. Tim Pringle also scalped three, giving away just 20 in four overs.
Even though the Netherlands had a fairly easy target to chase, their job wasn’t done yet. Having lost Michael Levitt, who was dismissed by Karan KC, the Dutch faced an early hiccup. But they were quick to make a comeback. Netherlands made 36 runs in the Powerplay for the loss of one wicket. Max O’Dowd provided the cherry on top in the end, with a match-winning, unbeaten 54 off 48 balls.
Even though Nepal tried their hardest to defend the total and bowled aggressively, poor fielding proved costly for them. Despite all their fight, they were about 20 runs short off a defendable total. On the other hand, the Dutch prevailed due to their ability to protect wickets and chase the target with a calculated approach. They have two crucial points in the kitty, which will come in handy in their quest for a spot in the Super 8.